Days of Future Past: Enter the Phoenix
by Karos
Summary: America's dead. The Sentinels control everything. But a group of mutants is willing to sacrifice everything-their very existence-to change that.
1. Kamikaze

A/N:  I own nothing.  All characters used belong to Marvel, including the Phoenix and Rachel Summers.  I'm just playing with them.   I'll have them back before bedtime.

The Future:

The Fifth Year Since the Institution of the Rebellion (5 A.R.)

            America.

            Once, the word had brought about images of golden streets, of full plates and eight-hour work days.  Once, people snuck through checkpoints just to set foot on the "Land of the Free."  Once.

            But that was long ago.

            America.

            Now it means death.  Green fields are long-since scorched.  No longer can they produce food for the hungry.

            And there are masses of the hungry.

            Sentinels changed that.  At first, they only went after the dangerous mutants, the terrorists and robbers.  And some protested, but most felt it was for the best.

            And then they went after the ones who were thought to have pro-mutant sympathies.  And the protests grew louder, but the people kept voting to keep the program.

            And then, all at once, they were after every mutant, every man, woman, and child, who carried the X-gene, latent or not.

            And the directors went to shut the program down.

            They were killed.

            And the heroes that were left tried to shut the Sentinels down.

            They dropped like flies.

            Finally, America was dead.  

            But some remembered a Dream.

            And they decided to make it a reality.

            "Cyclops!  Down!"

            Scott Summers ducked, allowing the energy beam to pass over him.  ~Thanks, my love.~

            Across the battle field, Phoenix—Jean Grey-Summers—smirked as her fire bird glowed across the sky, striking Sentinels down like ants.  ~That's how it works, Scott.  You save me, I save you, we both save her.~

            Blasting a group of Flatscans—a term that once meant all Humans, now only those who fought with the Sentinels—Scott sent his wife his worry.  ~Should we do this, Jean?  Is it right?~

            ~No.  But we have no other choice.  This way, at least she lives.  And so will Bobby, Rogue, Storm, Warren…they'll all live, Scott.  Kitty and Piotr's babies might live.~

            Scott felt the rage build up in him as he remembered the look on the Rasputins' faces when their three children had been taken away.  ~And Colossus' sister.~

            ~Illyana…the Phoenix sees a dark future for her, no matter what.~

            Scott's end of the link went silent.  

            ~Scott?~

            ~Don't tell Piotr.~

            ~I haven't~

            "Come on, Summers, move it!"

            Scott looked up to see Magneto, old but still fit, holding a path clear for them.  He let loose one last blast, then ran towards it, Jean following him.

            They entered the compound, running full speed, hoping to get there in time.  Cries were heard as the ran, but there was no time to free anyone else.  

            Feeling her husband's distress, Phoenix sent to him.  ~Remember, Love, we do this right and they're _all_ free.~

            ~I know.  But…~

            The thought was left unfinished.  There was nothing else to say.

            "Phoenix!  Cypher's down, Karma's injured.  Shadowcat and Colossus are taking them out."

            "No!"  Scott sent firmly over the com.  "We need more time!  Can you give us five more minutes?"

            There was silence over the line.  Then the voice that Scott now recognized as belonging to Psylocke returned.  "Daytripper's set up a shield to protect them, Husk's going in for her."  More silence, then, "Amanda says her magik can't hold forever.  You've got your five minutes, but make it count."

            "Roger."  

            Throughout the conversation, neither Jean nor Scott had stopped moving.  Finally, Jean stopped in front of a door.  "Open your eyes, Hon, cause this is it."

            Scott grinned as he cut loose, letting the raw power of the sun flow from his veins and out of his body.

            The door slammed back.

            They were in the Hound room.

            Quickly Scott ran to the fifth cell.  And there she was, just where Kitty had said she'd be.  

            Rachel.

            His daughter.

            She opened her eyes, so like Jean's it made his heart stop.  "Daddy?"

            "Shh, Baby.  We're here.  It's time."

            She wobbled to her feet.  Seeing she was weak, Cyclops lifted her into his arms.  He ran to where his wife stood, telekinetically holding the door shut.  She glanced at them, sending her daughter a strained smile.  "Hey, Ray.  Franklin sent his love."  

            There was no time for further conversation.  Releasing her grip in the door, Jean grabbed her husband and daughter.  Using the powers of the Phoenix, she opened a portal and pushed them through.

            "Kurt, like, give it back!" Kitty shouted, her face red with anger.

            Kurt Wagner laughed as he swung from the ceiling fan, reading her journal.  "Ah, _liebling_, don't you vant me to tell Colossus that you find him 'hot'?"

            "Kurt, just give the gal her journal," Rogue ordered from her seat on the couch.  "Ah can't hear the TV."

            Suddenly, there was a burst of light in the room.  

            "Vhat—?"

            "Hey!"

            "Dammit!"

            The light ended as quickly as it started, but it left something behind.  Actually, three somethings.

            Kurt, Kitty,  and Rogue stared at the three bodies on the floor.  As one, the thought together, ~PROFESSOR!~


	2. Together Again

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I was working on some other fics and my website.  

            Chapter Two: Together Again

            Xavier groaned as he wheeled into the room.  "I've told you before, you needn't…shout…"  He stared in astonishment at the three people lying on the floor.  "What in heaven's name is going on?!"  

            Kurt tried to explain.  "Light…big…fire…"  Unfortunately, as he was still in a state of shock.  Even if he had recovered, he wouldn't have been able to explain how what appeared to be an older Scott, and older Jean, and someone else had manifested in the Institute's rec. room.

            Kitty and Rogue, equally shocked, just nodded.  

            Xavier groaned.  "Kurt, teleport them to the med. lab…I'll have Hank ready…"  He rubbed his temples as he began to mentally contact Hank.  It was going to be one of those days…

            Scott Summers was having one of the few good days God seemed to ration out as if there were a famine and they were chocolate bars.  He and Jean were relaxing on a couch in the part of the attic Ororo didn't use.  Not fighting evil mutants…not defeating robots designed to exterminate them…not even making out, though personally he thought that would be just as nice…just relaxing in each others arms.

            Then the world turned inside out, and the Scott Summers that was suddenly found himself face-to-face with the one that would be, but they were both in him.  The younger Scott felt himself pushed aside, even as the older one apologized in a language that only they who were the same could understand.

            Scott-Cyclops, rather, for he'd gone simply by his codename for years-opened his eyes and looked at his young wife, suddenly reminded of how he'd fallen in love with her.  But this was not the time… "Phoenix?"

            The older Jean forced her counterpart's body to nod.  "I'm in here.  I guess it worked.  I wondered there for a moment."

            Cyclops grinned.  "I didn't doubt you could pull it off for a moment."  He stood, shocked to not feel old wounds acting up, to have the same ease of movement he'd long lost.  

            She placed his hand in his.  "It is odd, isn't it?" she asked.

            He nodded.  "But it's only temporary.  We need to find Rachel and Charles."

            Phoenix's eyes briefly glowed with fire as she used her powers.  "They're in the med. lab."

            Cyclops nodded, then smiled again.  "Feels good to be back, doesn't it?"

            Phoenix laughed as they strolled out of the attic, hand-in-hand.  "Yes, my love.  It does."

            "Dr. McCoy, did you figure it out yet?" Jamie asked.  The student body had quickly been alerted to the situation by the resident gossip, (Roberto, but you didn't hear it from me) and were now crowding the lab.

            Hank stared at his readings.  "I believe I have, Jamie…but it doesn't make sense…"

            "What is it, Henry?" Xavier asked, wheeling over.

            Beast cleared his throat.  "What we have here are two 34-year olds, genetically identical to Jean Grey and Scott Summers.  The third patient is a 15-year old female who is the progeny of said 34-year olds."

            Xavier and Storm stared at him in disbelief, while Logan summed up what the rest of them were feeling.  "In English, Beast?"

            Hank shrugged.  "As near as I can tell, _that is Jean Grey, __that is Scott Summers, and _that_ is their daughter."  _

            The room burst into chatter as the residents began to wonder what that could mean.  Suddenly, Amara noticed something.  "Where _are_ Scott and Jean?"

            Before anyone could panic, a voice, familiar to them all, but with a strength and weariness in it that was unknown, rang out.  "We're right here, Magma."

            Cyclops and Phoenix entered the room together, and before a word could be said Jean was at her daughter's side.  "Is she alright, Hank?"

            Beast looked a bit shocked to be addressed by his first name by one of the students, but merely nodded.  "I believe so."

            Xavier warily eyed his oldest students, trying to scan them even as he spoke.  "Scott?"

            Cyclops grimaced.  "Cyclops, Charles.  And please stop trying to get in my mind.  It's not a pleasant place."  Ignoring the stunned looks that seemed to be multiplying like rabbits in heat, he turned his head to Jean.  "Phoenix, report."

            "I love it when you ask so nicely," she replied dryly.  "Rachel's fine, the trauma of recent events is just taking its toll.  She should wake up soon.  She's fine, Scott.  Our baby's fine."  Tears started to leak out of her eyes as she was suddenly overwhelmed by such relief that she had never known existed.  Her baby…they'd taken her baby, and warped her, mind and body…and she'd come through.

            Cyclops was immediately at her side, cradling her as she sobbed in relief, his own tears falling onto her flaming hair. "It's alright," he whispered.  "She's going to be fine…after all, she's _your_ daughter…"

            Jean gasped a small laugh.  "And she's a _Summers_," she shot back.

            Kitty broke the awkward silence.  "Like, what's going on?"

            Cyclops turned to answer, but stopped when he noticed something.  "_BOBBY?!"_

            Before anyone could react, he had crushed the younger man into a bearhug.

            "Help…crazy Scott…crushing internal organs…"

            Scott immediately let go.  "My God, it is you…you're alive!"

            Bobby was starting to get creeped out.  "Shouldn't I be?"

            Phoenix slipped her arm around her husband's waist.  "You're not where we're from," she said softly.  "And that said…Charles, we need to talk." 


	3. Saying GoodBye

            Rogue blew a tuft of hair out of her face.  "Dang, they've been in there forever.  What the hell can they still be talking about?!"

            "Like, no kidding…but Scott and Jean looked…really out of it, you know?"

            Kurt rolled his eyes.  "If that's Scott and Jean, I'm a monkey's uncle.  DON'T say it," he warned Bobby, who had opened his mouth.  Grinning sheepishly, he shut it.  The four of them were to only students still awake.

            Just then the door opened, and a wear looking professor wheeled out.

            "Well?  What'd they say?" Kitty demanded.

            "We're right here, Kate," Phoenix said wearily, coming out with her head on Cyclops' shoulder.

            "KATE?!"

            Scott groaned.  "It's a long story.  When you got married you decided Kitty was too juvenile."

            Rogue snickered as Kitty paled.  "M-m-married?"

            Phoenix elbowed her husband.  "Hush," she warned, before turning back to Xavier.  "We have to go now," she said sadly.  "Should we stay in these bodies any longer, our past selves would be lost.  And that would upset the time stream even further…"

            Ignoring his students' confused looks, Xavier took her hand.  "Thank you, Jean, Scott, for what you're doing."

            Cyclops cracked a humorless grin.  "Hey, what're two lives when the world's on the line?"

            Kurt's eyes widened.  "Vhat on earth are you two doing?!"

            "Saving your lives," Jean replied shortly.  "Our other selves will explain it to you someday.  Oh, and Charles…thank you for all you did for us when we were younger.  Please…will you watch our Rachel?"  There was a raw need in her eyes that scared her friends.  

            Xavier simply nodded.

            Cyclops sighed heavily. "That's it, then…"  He cupped his wife's cheek in one hand.  "Think your counterpart will be okay?"

            Jean leaned into his touch.  "The Phoenix is a part of her.  She'll learn quickly…and she'll have her Scott, too…"

            Could he have cried, tears would have been running down Scott's cheeks.  "I love you, mother of my child," he murmured, capturing her lips with his.

            A half-laugh, half-sob escaped Jean.  "And I you, my husband," she replied, returning his kiss with one of her own.

            Bobby rubbed the back of his neck.  "Did I miss something?"

            "SHHHHH!" both Rogue and Kitty hissed, staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of them.

            Kurt shrugged.  

            Holding her husband tight to her, Phoenix released their holds on the bodies in a flash of light.  Out of the fire surrounding them a bird formed, screaming like a hawk.

            Then, the fire retracted into the body of Jean Grey, which collapsed on the floor next to that of Scott Summers.  Breathing heavily, she looked at her boyfriend, horror striking her as her counterpart's memories flooded her mind.  

            Scott returned her look, then pulled her tightly to him.  He wasn't the Cyclops that had been in his body, but the fear of never seeing his lover, partner, girlfriend, wife, whatever Jean was to him, felt just as real as if it were his own.  

            "Okay, WHAT happened?" Bobby demanded.

            Jean turned to him, still in Scott's arms, eyes red and raw.  "I-" Her eyes widened then as she felt the rush of power of the Phoenix for the first time.  She curled into a ball in Scott's arms, trying to keep it in.

            But the link the married couple had had remained between the two, and through it Scott reassured her, comforting her, even as Bobby formed a wall of ice around the others, protecting them from the raging flames.

            Soon they died down, revealing Scott with Jean in his arms.  He tiredly stood, looking at his friends.  His throat worked for a moment before he spoke.  "Excuse me…but I have to take my wife to the med lab…and check on my daughter…"

            He left four stunned mutants in his wake.

            Rogue turned to Xavier.  "Professor, WHAT…" She trailed off, noticing tears streaking down Charles Xavier's face.

            "In the morning, Rogue," he choked.  "I'll tell it all to you in the morning."


End file.
